NOUS42 KCHS 181744
PNSCHS
GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>051-190000-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1245 PM EST THU NOV 18 2004

...TROPICAL STORM GASTON UPGRADED TO HURRICANE STATUS...

THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IN COORDINATION WITH THE NATIONAL 
WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN CHARLESTON SC HAS UPGRADED THE 
STATUS OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON TO A HURRICANE. BASED ON POST 
ANALYSIS OF RADAR VELOCITY DATA FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
DOPPLER RADARS OUT OF CHARLESTON SC AND WILMINGTON NC IT HAS BEEN 
DETERMINED THAT GASTON LIKELY REACHED MINIMAL HURRICANE STRENGTH 
JUST BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL NEAR AWENDAW SC ON AUGUST 29TH. GASTON 
IS THEREFORE POSTHUMOUSLY RECLASSIFIED AS A MINIMAL CATEGORY 1 
HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE SCALE WITH MAXIMUM 
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 75 MPH.

GASTON PRODUCED DAMAGING WINDS AND FLASH FLOODING ACROSS MUCH OF THE 
TRI-COUNTY AREA.

$$

ST/JH